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Cold Symmetry
|name=Cold Symmetry |image=ColdSymmetry Cover1.jpg |imgsize=250px |author=Cameron Dayton |editor= |artist= |intartist= |series= |parent= |pages=8 |publisher=Blizzard Entertainment |published=March 7, 2013 |binding= |isbn10= |isbn13= |isbn10e= |isbn13e= |inseries1= |inseries2= |inseries3= |inseries4= |inseries5= |inseries6= |inseries7= |inseries8= |inseries9= |inseries10= }} Cold Symmetry is a StarCraft II short story written by Cameron Dayton, designed to tie-in with Heart of the Swarm. It focuses on the zealot. The story was later collected in StarCraft II: War Stories.Dayton, Cameron. "Cold Symmetry." (March 7, 2013). Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft Lore: Cold Symmetry Accessed 2013-03-07. Description Stranded on Aiur's zerg-infested moon, a lone veteran zealot finds his courage, skill, and endurance put to the ultimate test. ---- For more than a thousand years, zealots have been the sword and shield of the Protoss. When they prepare to take back their homeworld after the fall of the Queen of Blades, one brave Zealot warrior must overcome impossible odds to save his people from certain doom. Synopsis As Teredal took the vows of the zealot order, his mentor told him of Saalok, Aiur's moon's, perfect spherical form. Later, Teredal was a scarred veteran zealot; he had lost an eye in the Plaza Strike on Nelyth to an ultralisk. Now he lead an aexilium (team) of twelve, including five other zealots, three dark templar and three stalkers, on a mission on Saalok. The moon was infested by the zerg, who were believed to be feral. The zerg ambushed them, wiping out all the protoss except Teredal, who was wounded. The scouting mission had been sent to pave the way for a shuttle and reaver attack on feral zerg. The zerg had fooled the protoss into thinking they were uncontrolled, and Teredal realized the executor would fall for their ruse. If the attack succeeded, the protoss could then move against the zerg on Aiur. In the meantime, he had to survive. He used zerg tendons to bind his wounds, a technique he had used in the Black Grass Raid on Tepperus years ago, where he had saved the life of a praetor. Relying on his experiences fighting the zerg, including those led by the Queen of Blades and those after her "fall", he realized these zerg were being controlled. He believed it wasn't Kerrigan, but a cerebrate. His task had been to protect Kehdana as she set up beacons, silently. The flares would draw the zerg into a poor position, assisting the fleet. Unable to contact the fleet, which would attack no matter the fate of his aexilium, Teredal decided to fight on regardless. He used hydralisk claws as a makeshift weapon as he had lost one of his psi blades. Teredal had a plan. He would set up the beacons in a perfect circle, a violation of his original orders. The zerg would anticipate his movements and ambush him, but their coordinated movements would reveal their intelligence to the executor. The timing would be tight. He would have to run at full speed for nearly a day to plant the beacons in locations where the fleet would understand his message. Teredal planted three beacons without incident. At the fourth, a pair of ultralisks were waiting for him. As he traveled from beacon site to beacon site, he spotted newly-emerged overlords patrolling, and spires which would support a zerg fleet to match the protoss one. As Teredal traveled, his pattern was becoming more obvious to the zerg. At the fifth site waited ultralisks, hydralisks and overlords. Teredal was forced into combat. He planted the beacon in an ultralisk during the battle, and as it flared it killed the ultralisk. Teredal survived but was knocked unconscious, losing precious time. He was awoken by the light of a meteor shower. He ran to the sixth site, a crater with no cover. The position was obvious and many zerg awaited him. During the battle he cried out through the Khala and received a response from the fleet. Void rays and scouts came to his rescue. They were unable to take him, and he died, but not before he learned that the protoss understood his mission and would call off the attack. Characters Main Characters *Teredal Supporting Characters *Zeranek *Kehdana *Kherenoss Mentioned Characters *Teredal's mentor References Category:Short stories